


VNTA

by Braxbro



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23935027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Braxbro/pseuds/Braxbro
Summary: This fic is my first fic. It's a relatively straightforward RWBY OC fic but I've done my best to try to make it as good as I can. Thank you to everyone in the Qrow's Nest discord and the r/RWBY discord's Fan Fiction Alley for helping me with my writing.So far, this fic's undergone two rewrites because I've seen glaring flaws with its previous editions that I refuse to ever let see the light of day again, but this one I've had beta’d and edited relatively extensively, so I feel like posting it now is safe.This fic aims to tell the story of an OC team from start to finish as it runs in parallel to the main RWBY story. Major plot points of the story, where it makes sense to leave them alone, will be left alone, and all other plot points will be altered logically based upon the minor changes adding another team to the mix causes.However, that said, this fic will also amend issues with the main canon that bother me, including but not limited to the lack of different-feeling Grimm variants and Atlas' incompetence, as they come up.Another forewarning: I will not be taking OC requests for this story. If I am truly interested in someone else's OC I will approach them myself and ask if I can have them take a cameo role; but I will not cram someone's OC into the story that I want to tell just because someone asked.Also, this story is told from third person with first person thoughts occasionally included from one character. This character shifts with each chapter and after the character has been introduced, their name will be included at the beginning of each chapter to indicate whose thoughts are included in that chapter.With all that out of the way, please, enjoy my first fan fiction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is my first fic. It's a relatively straightforward RWBY OC fic but I've done my best to try to make it as good as I can. Thank you to everyone in the Qrow's Nest discord and the r/RWBY discord's Fan Fiction Alley for helping me with my writing.
> 
> So far, this fic's undergone two rewrites because I've seen glaring flaws with its previous editions that I refuse to ever let see the light of day again, but this one I've had beta’d and edited relatively extensively, so I feel like posting it now is safe.
> 
> This fic aims to tell the story of an OC team from start to finish as it runs in parallel to the main RWBY story. Major plot points of the story, where it makes sense to leave them alone, will be left alone, and all other plot points will be altered logically based upon the minor changes adding another team to the mix causes.
> 
> However, that said, this fic will also amend issues with the main canon that bother me, including but not limited to the lack of different-feeling Grimm variants and Atlas' incompetence, as they come up.
> 
> Another forewarning: I will not be taking OC requests for this story. If I am truly interested in someone else's OC I will approach them myself and ask if I can have them take a cameo role; but I will not cram someone's OC into the story that I want to tell just because someone asked.
> 
> Also, this story is told from third person with first person thoughts occasionally included from one character. This character shifts with each chapter and after the character has been introduced, their name will be included at the beginning of each chapter to indicate whose thoughts are included in that chapter.
> 
> With all that out of the way, please, enjoy my first fan fiction.

# ??? - “Vale”

* * *

Requirements and Recommendations:

⅓-full Aura (minimum)

Scratch paper (recommended)

Pencil and eraser

Blue or black pen

Your weapon and any associated paperwork or supplies

The release paperwork

Your Scroll (recommended in case of unexpected delays)

* * *

The brightly colored information pamphlet (it was hardly a packet, really, just some paperwork and a practice test stapled to a folded flyer) clearly listed every requirement for the test. As he went down the list, he touched each item in his bag. After verifying the physical objects listed were in his bag, he flicked his Scroll open grimly.

_Damn it, it’s all gone. I must have overestimated how long I needed to sleep last night… should have set my alarm earlier..._

He drew in a breath.

_It’s only a third. It’s what, 4:30 AM now? And my test is scheduled to start at 1:00 PM. I’ll be fine if I focus._

He walked over to the second bed in his hotel room, where he had laid out and disassembled his weapon to clean it. The metallic black and silver parts glinted as he examined them for any rust or damage, meticulously holding them alongside the diagrams he kept specifically for this purpose. Satisfied with the condition of his weapon, he began assembling the metal parts, inserting the screws and pins where necessary. The entire weapon was built to be maintained by hand, while remaining sturdy and versatile. He’d only ever need a power tool to make replacement parts, as several parts had to be machined and manipulated from their stock forms to fit together. It was made exclusively from leftover materials from different part kits, but he had spent several months ensuring that the final product wasn’t shoddy or poorly made. He’d even taken the time to etch a pattern into several of the exposed plates. 

It was a basic weapon - an axe that could shift to a halberd - but it worked for him. After he checked the weapon had been reassembled properly, he pushed a pair of small buttons and the cylinder he’d custom-fit inside the weapon’s head popped free, letting him load any Dust cartridges he desired into the weapon. His Semblance didn’t use Dust; he’d only included the cartridges so he could alter his weapon’s properties as necessary. As he clicked the cylinder back in place, spinning it to ensure it still worked, he hooked it on his belt as he pulled on his jacket and threw his bag over his shoulder.

As he left his hotel room, walking quietly down the hall out of consideration for the many businessmen and applicants still sleeping in the hotel, he checked his watch.

_6:30 AM. Six and a half hours until the test starts… that’s a lot of time to kill._

When he stepped into the front lobby, the hotel staff were setting up breakfast. He looked at them, then sat down in a chair and picked up a science magazine, flicking through the pages.

_Lots of advancements in Dust tech… lots of ads, too, as expected…_

He turned the page, to be greeted with Atlesian brags about prototype military tech.

_Paladins and Knights, huh? Mechs and robots for military use… though I question whether it’s wise to be publicizing the prototypes with the White Fang around… it’s almost putting a target on Atlas’ back…_

He sighed, closed the magazine, and set it on the stand in front of him.

_I should probably keep an eye on those. I don’t like how early they’re unveiling these things…_

He stood up and walked over to the breakfast buffet that had been set up for him. He’d sold most of the hobby projects he’d worked on as learning pieces to get this far, mostly to ensure he had enough for a nice hotel, the exam, a few meals out, and spending money for when he finally got his dorm. Or his funeral, if he failed Initiation. He mentally ran through his budget for the day as he prepared a bowl of cereal for himself. It wasn’t big, but it was plenty to cover a couple of meals out plus a fair amount of recreational activities to kill time in the morning.

He picked up a newspaper as he sat down at a table to eat his breakfast. To no one’s surprise, most of the articles were on the whole White Fang issue, with murders and robberies on what seemed like every other page. He closed the newspaper and set it down, finishing his breakfast, disposing of his bowl and spoon, and leaving without a word. He flicked his Scroll open as he walked towards the testing location to turn in his paperwork. It was an older model, but it still ran everything he wanted on it and then some, so he felt no need to upgrade the sturdy steel-cased device to the new, lighter, and more fragile variants. Plus, it was more comfortable in his hands, especially when playing games. He flipped over to the current exam schedule and refreshed it as he approached the testing location. 

_No delays so far. Good._

He then clicked the small device closed and fished for the paperwork he had brought in his bag as he approached the registration desk. “I’m here to finish registering for the test this afternoon,” he stated to the attendant as he set the stack of paperwork neatly in between them. “So I don’t forget later.” The attendant, a tall old woman in a plain white dress and black jacket, nodded, flipped through the pack of paperwork, then pointed to a missing signature on the release form. 

“Your legal guardian has to sign this,” she stated in a flat tone.

He sighed as he unlocked his scroll and pulled up a departure of household form he’d filled out and gotten accepted, showing the attendant. “I’m my own legal guardian. I thought the signature was redundant… Do you have a pen? I’d rather not fish mine out of my bag.” The attendant nodded and handed him a cheap black pen, and he signed his full name on the dotted line. “Is that all?” The attendant nodded. “Thank you, I’ll be back at 12:45 for the test.”

He turned around and walked out the door, sitting on a bench outside and booting up one of the few games he’d installed on his Scroll. As he clicked the Load Save option, he clicked his last quicksave from the night before, and was promptly greeted with the oh-so familiar Atlas Defense mission he’d been stuck on for weeks. So far, he’d never seen anyone devise a strategy to get past this point, and nothing he’d tried worked. His soldiers simply didn’t have enough actions to keep up with the hordes of Grimm units that arrived in timed intervals of only a couple of turns. He knew that he got Huntsmen reinforcements after ten turns, but the problem then was that too many Grimm were in play at that point. The Huntsmen reinforcements were impossible to move from their arrival point to the destroyed building that he’d found to be his best bet for surviving the onslaught; they’d die long before they got to where his team’s support could be of use. It didn’t help that splash damage was painfully limited, so the action economy rapidly became an issue.

While perusing the list of known level objectives and obstacles, he felt the bench shift beneath him. 

_Please leave me alone…_

His prayers went unanswered.

“Good morning. You testing this afternoon too?” the stranger asked. The girl that had sat beside him was diminutive in size, and the most bizarre part of her outfit was the armor that encased her right arm; definitely another student. He closed his Scroll and slid it into his pocket.

“Yes, what gave you that idea?” he replied.

“You’ve got a Huntsman weapon on your hip, and are waiting outside the testing location,” she stated flatly. “It’s kind of obvious.”

He groaned mentally. “Right… What are _you_ doing here?”

She shrugged. “Killing time. Meeting other applicants. I’m not exactly from around here so I’d like to know some people before I end up thrown off a cliff in about a week. What’s your name?”

“Vanta. Yours?”

“Aegi. Spelled like aegis without the S.”

Vanta nodded. He didn’t like conversing, but being antisocial was rude, and the last thing he needed was to anger a potential teammate. “So… what brings you to Beacon?”

Aegi sighed. “My Semblance. Pretty much everyone back home just wants to hire me to be a cheap health insurance policy for on-the-job employees. I take hits for other people. That’s my life nowadays. Unfortunately, some people can’t see past the economically advantageous Semblance and see the person behind it…” She forced a cough. “The Schnee Dust Company and their affiliates… It’s not that I don’t want to use my talents, it’s that I don’t want to be used for them, which is why I moved away from the job offers and all the pressure and am applying here. My parents weren’t too happy I didn’t take the unique opportunities offered to me… but then I explained that those opportunities were no better than, well, prostitution.”

Vanta stared at her, shocked. “That’s horrible.”

Aegi nodded solemnly. “But it’s how things are. What about you?”

Vanta looked at his hand. “Discipline. So my Semblance is less like a wild animal on a leash and more like a tool in my hand.” He declined to say more on the subject when Aegi prodded him to give a less cryptic explanation. “So, you’re confident you can pass the test?”

Aegi shrugged. “I’ve got concerns regarding the applied portion, but the written exam is a breeze; I took the practice exam provided and aced it first try.”

Vanta nodded. “Yeah, the written exam seems easier than I’d expect.” Vanta checked his Scroll’s clock.

_9:30 AM. I’ve still got at least an hour and a half to kill, allotting 2 hours to a lunch run…_

“So, where are you from? I’m from Atlas,” he offered, trying to change the conversation into less of an interrogation, “The city in the sky. Home of state-of-the-art everything and the blandest architecture in the world…” Vanta half-sarcastically stated, pausing for a moment. “ _And yet, they still couldn’t fix me,_ ” he commented acridly under his breath.

Vanta wasn’t sure whether or not she had heard him as she responded. “I’m from Mantle. It cost my family a fair bit to send me here rather than just dump me into a SDC mine crew or construction crew, so funding anything beyond the test and the ticket over here is on me.”

Vanta glanced at his wallet. “I… see... My family wanted me to take up some boring office job, but I managed to coax them into letting me learn machining. Made this,” tapping his weapon, “from spare parts, sold my best completed pieces, applied for emancipation, then used that and the money I had from selling my work to come here.” He paused. “Want to grab an early lunch and head back here around half past noon? I know a nice place around half an hour’s walk from here.”

Aegi shook her head. “I can’t afford to eat out right now, sorry. Maybe after I get my first paycheck.” Vanta looked at her, confused. “I serve tables for around four hours every afternoon. In exchange, I get free meals and a place to sleep until I can move into the dorms, plus tips. Once I move into the dorms, the owner will start paying me normally. It’s how I’m able to afford to stay here.”

Vanta nodded. “Well, I can cover the bill. I over budget for each day in case I either have random expenses or need to pick up something I didn’t write on my list, if you want. Eating an early lunch together sure beats sitting on a bench in public making small talk for two more hours… or, I guess, playing video games alone for two hours.” 

Aegi stood up, picking up a small duffel bag that Vanta now noticed rested snugly up against the side of the bench. She then slung her ponytail around her neck like a scarf and glanced at Vanta. “Lead the way.” 


	2. Chapter 2

#  Aegi - “Acquaintance”

_ I wasn’t sure what to think of Vanta initially. His dark eyes were unsettling, almost like an abyss that stared back. Now, I think he may just be one of the nicest people I’ve met who knows about my Semblance. _

_ He doesn’t seem to see me like a shell for a useful Semblance. I’m glad, really… good friends are so hard to come by when your talents are so easily applied for others’ gain. _

Aegi followed Vanta several blocks down the street, into a more run-down part of town. He then took a right, leading her to what looked like a large shack made from scrap metal. The sign said “Frank’s Fishery”. She glanced at Vanta.

“You’re sure you can afford this? Seafood places aren’t that cheap.” Vanta smirked and pointed out the number of bikes, cars, and other vehicles in the lot adjacent to the shack.

“Would it be that popular if it was super expensive? Trust me, I found this place by following the dinner rush yesterday, and I’ve already looked at their menu.” Aegi reluctantly looked at him and followed him inside. “Table for two,” he said to the blue-and-white-uniformed waitress standing by the door. She nodded tiredly, picked up a pair of menus from a stack on the shelf beside her, checked her Scroll, and led the pair over to a small booth against one wall. 

The room was lit dimly enough to be easy on the eyes, but well enough to see and read easily. The interior walls were all made of wood, much to Aegi’s surprise, with photos framed and hung of what looked to be different employees and their relatives going fishing. Aegi took one look at the menu set before her. “This is still kind of expensive, though…” she said. Vanta looked up at her. 

“Not compared to Atlas. A good seafood place in Atlas will charge you at least double what this place does, and even then it’s not quite the same.”

_ Oh yeah. I forgot. He came from a wealthier family. _

“Must be nice coming from a well-off family.” Aegi said.

“In some ways. But remember, I’m emancipated. I don’t get any money from my family anymore or anything. I’m by no means rich.” Vanta reminded, almost in a tired tone. “I just budget a lot for food. Because even if you’re used to cheap food, nice food still wins every time.”

_ Maybe when you can afford it. _

“Speaking of, your employer will start paying you as soon as you’re out from under his roof, right? You  _ could _ stay with me. I’ve got a hotel room booked until the day we get flown into Beacon. Then you’d be making spending money beyond just what you got in tips.”

Aegi gave him a deadpan look over the top of her menu. “Now you’re just being a creep. Anyway, I’ve never had fish or anything else on this menu before. Any recommendations?”

“Their fish and chips are good. I like them, anyway.”

Aegi flipped through the menu until she found them. “That does look good, doesn’t it…” She folded the menu and set it down. “So, you’ve no doubt looked into Initiation, yes?”

Vanta nodded. “I brought funeral money,” he joked.

“Very funny. Supposedly, at least going by previous years, they’re going to toss us off a cliff into the forest with minimal instructions. What’s your plan?”

Vanta shrugged. “Not die. Use my axe to swing on stuff without hurting my hands and then drop to the ground once I’ve lost enough speed. Why?”

Aegi laughed. “Swinging does seem most practical, doesn’t it? Ramming your face into things is the only other way to stop, really, considering we don’t have parachutes, and that hurts. I guess I’d probably better pick up some rope before we leave then…”

The table fell silent for a moment. The waitress cleared her throat, and both Aegi and Vanta jumped slightly. “Two fish and chips please, one with water, and…” Vanta prompted Aegi by prodding her with his foot.

“I’ll have mine with water too.”

_ That was awkward. Really awkward. _

The table once again was graced with silence. Vanta pulled out his scroll and opened his game, while Aegi shifted, trying to get the crossbow on her hip to hang more comfortably. Eventually she just gave up, unclipped it from her hip, and set it on her bag, pulling one of her crossbow bolts out. She rolled it between her fingers idly.

_ What is there even left to talk about right now? We can’t just pull out our weapons or anything in here… He plays video games, right? Maybe that’d be something to talk about? _

Aegi watched as Vanta tapped at his Scroll, examining the screen through the back. The text was hard to make out from across the table, but she could tell when Vanta dropped his Scroll in frustration that he’d lost… even if she didn’t recognize how.

“Having trouble?” She asked. Vanta nodded.

“This mission’s close to the furthest anyone has gotten in this game. I can’t skip it, and it’s borderline impossible… I can’t think of a way to properly cover the Huntsmen that I’ve got to protect so they can beat the later waves. There are just too many enemy units.”

“What game is this again?”

“A-COM, short for Atlas Command, I think. Or something like that.”

_ Hold on, that’s A-COM? _

“How far in is this? This isn’t modded, is it?”

Vanta shook his head. “This is the sixteenth story mission, if I counted right.”

Aegi picked up the scroll on the table, reloaded the save, and looked at the map.

“It looks like an easy map to me… there’s cover practically everywhere!”

Vanta reached over and tapped open a notes application. “Cover doesn’t matter to melee units. All of the units until turn 16 are basic Beowolves and those little boar things.”

“You still have high ground as an option... I’m not very good at it, but I’m pretty sure none of those enemies on your list can climb. Except those that come during turn 24. There are gutters you can climb up in a little nook that’s hard to see on the building you had your troops in. See?” She turned the map around, and sure enough, the gutter was plainly visible.

“How’d you even spot that?”

“There were tiles on the second floor that lit up as possible destinations, but they were hard to see. Then I just looked for how to get there.” Aegi shrugged. “I play it now and then. Pretty quickly learned to take a while on turn one to figure out where I could put my troops. That includes spinning my camera around.”

_ The game literally goes out of its way to show you in the tutorial how to manipulate the camera. Either he skipped it and brute forced his way through the game thus far, or he’s been using the elevation controls to get by and forgotten spinning the camera exists. Which, to be fair, I’ve done before. _

“Speaking of, if you’re rich why haven’t you upgraded your Scroll?”

Vanta sighed. “Two things. One, I’m not rich anymore, just making sure you get that. Two, because I like the one I have — the new ones have bigger screens that are less comfortable to use and at the same time the sides are much thinner making them much easier to drop. The one I’ve got does everything I need fine, and it’s also one of the latest models to still use a metal shell, meaning I don’t have to worry if I do drop it; it’s nowhere near as likely to break the same way as with the newer ones.”

Aegi nodded. “I was curious because it seems like anyone who’s well-off enough to afford it upgrade these things at every opportunity they get. Mine’s like yours, though I got it second-hand with my own money. Never thought I’d see someone like you of all people using one on a daily basis. Maybe having it as a collector’s item, but not using it as their actual Scroll.”

Vanta shrugged. “Probably will keep the shell to be honest, even if I do replace the Scroll later. Then I’ll be able to swap out the internals and keep the same feel and durability I love. Really not a fan of the thin, ultralight direction people seem to be driving Scrolls towards.”

Aegi simply flicked her scroll open and loaded up A-COM herself. “Want to do a quick co-op one-off? Or maybe a VS. mission? We could even start a new co-op campaign.”

Vanta simply closed his scroll as the waitress walked over to their table carrying their two plates of food, opening it again under the table once again to check his Aura, then closing it and sliding it in his pocket. “Food’s here. Maybe later. Besides, we’ve got an hour and a half to finish and get back for the test, and I’d rather be early than late. Also, apparently they’re running thirty minutes ahead of schedule, which is bizarre. I’d honestly like to be done with the test and back in my room to rest as soon as possible. You probably wouldn’t mind working some overtime, getting some more cash, too, I reckon.”

_ He has a point, I would like some more spending money. _

“Besides, there’s always until Friday. We fly in on Saturday, go through Initiation on Sunday, then our first classes start up on Monday.” He picked up his fork and knife, slicing a piece off of his fish. He motioned for Aegi to do the same. “We can talk plenty on the walk back.”

Aegi closed her scroll, shoving it in her shorts pocket, picked up her fork and knife, and took a tentative bite. 

_ Damn, this is what I’ve been missing, huh? What I’ve been eating back home tastes like dirt compared to this… makes sense though. Not much in Mantle is very high quality. _

“Good, isn’t it?” Vanta said. Aegi nodded energetically. She set her utensils down and started devouring the food on the plate with her hands. Vanta simply looked down at his plate, continuing to eat in his more polite habitual way. His mind seemed to be on something else as he slowly, reliably, whittled down the food on his plate.

When he finished, Aegi was already waiting. Vanta signaled for the bill as he stacked their plates and set them aside. “For the record, I wasn't being a creep before. It was a legitimate offer. The room I’m staying in has two beds and I’m only using one. There’s plenty of space for your stuff, considering all I have is a suitcase of clothing and the like under the bed, a second case for my weapon stuff, currently at the foot of the bed you’d be taking, and this bag. That’s it.”

Aegi looked at him. “I’ve still only known you for a day.”

Vanta shrugged. “I get it, you don’t trust me. But the offer is just as risky for me as it is for you.” She looked at him, confused. “I’ll explain once we’re away from so many prying ears.” 

As the waitress finally managed to get done with what she was doing and bring the two their bill Vanta handed her a card. “20% tip.” He said flatly. Her eyes widened.

“You’re sure, sir?” the waitress asked, and Vanta nodded. “Thank you for your generosity.” She’d probably not received a tip that big in a fair while.

Vanta waved his hand. “Don’t sweat it. You earned it for putting up with us.”

She rushed off to a nearby register to finish the payment, then returned and handed Vanta his card with haste.

“Thank you. Have a wonderful day,” he said, picking up his bag and accepting the receipt. “Ready to head out, Aegi?” She nodded as she picked up her bag and clipped her crossbow on her hip again.

_ It’s good to actually know someone around here. _

_ Maybe he’ll even be my future teammate. _


End file.
